As many of you already know, CS 1.6 Beta is now out. This article is a review of the new weapons and items that have made their debut in this new patch. I've played the beta for a couple of days now, and I have a somewhat mixed opinion of it. Overall, its a great new patch, but there are minor details and issues that the patch team needs to work on, and I'm sure they will be fixed by the release of the official patch. Without further ado, I present to you:

    Finally, the much anticipated patch 1.6. There are many aspects of the new patch that I both love and hate. The new Steam interface is to die for. You no longer get muted when you alt-tab out of Counter-Strike, games are easier to join, there is a new 'friends' list, and you can chat with them anytime they are on.  There are 2 new weapons and 1 new piece of equipment. Many other changes have also been implemented into 1.6.

Changes

    The Smoke Grenade

    Most of the changes are just tweaks here and there, nothing really major, except of course for the smoke grenade. The smoke grenade now explodes into a puff of smoke before emitting slower, more controlled bursts of smoke. This new change has encouraged many players to use the smoke grenade more often. The initial burst provides ample protection and cover from enemy fire.

    The Para

     Most of you don't really buy the gun, let alone notice it, but the para's bullets were given a minor facelift, and my are they shiny. Nothing else was changed with this gun, it's still the gun that nobody buys except for little 12 year olds that like to annoy the shit out of people. (me).

    The Glock-18

    I never used the glock much until now. With more damage and an added barrel, and a new animation, the glock provides me with hours of quality entertainment. I think they added a bit of kick to the glock also, because it doesn't seem nearly as accurate as before.

    The Bomb

   You now get 3 frags for planting and 3 frags for defusing the bomb. Finally an incentive for planting the bomb and not spawn camping behind that box. Yea, you know who you are, you sick sonofabitch.

Major map change.

   There are a couple of new maps and minor changes in other maps. I've decided to just do Aztec, as it is the map with the most change.

   De_Aztec  

   Aztec has been given a huge makeover, as there are new textures and different terrain. Pretty damn cool if you ask me.

The New Weapons/Equipment.

    The most exciting part of the new Beta are the new weapons and equipment. There are new assault rifles for the CT's and T's. The Galil and the FAMAS are the new T and CT weapons, respectively. The Riot shield is the newest piece of equipment added to the CT's arsenal. All new items added to the game bring new elements and strategies along with them.

    The FAMAs

    The new CT assault rifle is a respectable gun in its own right, but doesn't really match up to the Galil. There are two modes on this gun, burst-fire and automatic. This gun really shines in burst-fire, but on automatic it couldn't hit Mrs. Jarvis on an open field. I tested out this gun, and I found that I liked the burst when I was crouching, but I wasn't really particular about it in other situations. Plus I went a little overboard while making the picture...

    The Riot Shield.

    After I tested this shield I found that I liked it and hated it both at the same time. This shield could be deadly in the hands of an expert, but in the hands of me its a extremely not funny joke. The shield blocks about 70% of your body on one side when you are running with it. This can deflect a lot of bullets and save your life. The downside is, I often just got head-shotted seventeen times in the face and ended up losing the round. If a person practiced with the shield a lot, then maybe they could be good with it. I think it would be a great help in team situations where the shield is used as a blocker. Overall, I think the shield has some room for improvement, but is an effective piece of equipment during gunfights. I suck at using the shield so here's what happened when I used it.

   The Galil.

   When I first bought the Galil I thought it looked like a piece of shit, but after my first time using it I felt quite the contrary. This gun is too powerful and accurate to be just $2000. It is a great gun for the T's. Although I prefer the AK or the M4A1 over the Galil, it is still an extremely powerful contender. My favorite weapon is still the M4A1, and it probably will always be. The Galil is handy weapon if you're low on cash, especially during those first crucial rounds after pistol round. T's obviously have the early game advantage here.

 I think 1.6 is going to turn out to be another great CS patch. With a few minor tune-ups and adjustments, we should expect another quality gaming environment for us to enjoy. This is going to be another fun patch from the folks at Valve, so get ready folks for some [-NewBz-] members heading towards a server near you. 

(And no I are NOT the netgamar, bob.)

I'm finally fucking done. Thanks for reading.

Feedback and thoughts wanted.

                                                                                                                                               -MistaSparkle